Natalia Melentyeva is the wife of Alexander Dugin, a Russian political analyst and strategist. Natalia, born on September 22, 1957, is a philosopher. She married Alexander Dugin after he had divorced his first wife, Evgenia Debryanskaya. The couple had one daughter named Darya Dugina, born in December 1992.
Education and Career
Little is known about Natalia Melentyeva’s early life and education. She has not revealed her educational details. However, she is a philosopher, and due to her experience in the field, she also encouraged her daughter to be a philosopher.
Her Daughter
Natalia’s daughter was a journalist, activist, and political scientist. Darya was born and grew up in Moscow; she attended Moscow State University. After college, she was a journalist at a local media house; she also worked as a political commentator for a Russian political movement. She supported the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022 and mentioned that the war aimed to break ties between Europe and Russia.
The Death of Natalia’s Daughter
Darya Dugina died on August 20, 2022, after the car she was boarding exploded. According to the police reports, an explosive device was on the underside of the car she was using. Darya and her father had attended an annual festival at Zakharovo Estate, and she was heading to Moscow when the car exploded.
There were claims that either Darya or her father was targeted; her father changed the car he was to travel with, and that’s how he avoided death. Russian President Vladimir Putin shared a message of condolences and mentioned Natalia’s daughter as a patriot and a genuine Russian. National Republican Army claimed responsibility for the car bombing, saying they were targeting Natalia’s husband and daughter.
Investigation and Aftermath
According to an investigation by the Russian Federal Security Service, Natalia’s daughter was killed by a female Ukrainian who had been monitoring her movement for a month. They claimed that she rented an apartment close to where Darya lived, and on the day of the bombing, she was at the festival.
Ukraine distances itself from claims of killing Natalia’s daughter, saying they were not like Russia. During the funeral of Darya, her father said that she died for Russia; the death of Darya devasted Natalia Melentyeva.
Her Husband
Most people regard Natalia’s husband as a fascist. He has been involved in politics throughout his life; in the 1980s, he was an anti-communist, but before that, he had worked as a journalist for some time. He partnered with Geydar Dzhemal, and they formed Russian Fascism. Natalia’s husband has always pushed Vladimir Putin to use his full power.
In 2022, Alexander Dugin was in support of the Ukrainian invasion. He is very close to the Russian president and is said to influence most of Vladimir Putin’s decisions. Natalia’s husband is the author of Foundations of Geopolitics, a book for university geopolitics courses.
Social Media Presence
Despite being the wife of an influential political analyst and strategist, Natalia Melentyeva prefers to live a low-profile life. She is not on social media platforms; she is not on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.